Job 3
3
Job Laments His Birth
1After this Job #ch. 33:2; Ps. 78:2opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2And Job said:
3 # [ch. 10:18, 19]; See Jer. 20:14-18 “Let the day perish on which I was born,
and the night that said,
‘A man is conceived.’
4Let that day be darkness!
May God above not seek it,
nor light shine upon it.
5Let gloom and #ch. 10:21, 22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; 38:17; Ps. 23:4; Isa. 9:2; Matt. 4:16deep darkness claim it.
Let clouds dwell upon it;
let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6That night—let thick darkness seize it!
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
let it not come into the number of the months.
7Behold, let that night be barren;
let no joyful cry enter it.
8Let those curse it who curse the day,
who are ready to rouse up #ch. 41:1Leviathan.
9Let the stars of its dawn be dark;
let it hope for light, but have none,
nor see #ch. 41:18the eyelids of the morning,
10because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,
nor hide trouble from my eyes.
11“Why #ch. 10:18, 19did I not die at birth,
come out from the womb and expire?
12Why did #Gen. 30:3; 50:23; Isa. 66:12the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13For then I would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,
14with kings and counselors of the earth
who #[Isa. 58:12]rebuilt ruins for themselves,
15or with princes who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
16Or why was I not as a hidden #Ps. 58:8; Eccles. 6:3; [1 Cor. 15:8]stillborn child,
as infants who never see the light?
17There the wicked cease from troubling,
and there the weary are at #ch. 17:16rest.
18There the prisoners are at ease together;
they hear not the voice of #Ex. 3:7the taskmaster.
19The small and the great are there,
and the slave is free from his master.
20“Why is light given to him who is in misery,
and life to #Prov. 31:6the bitter in soul,
21who #Rev. 9:6 long for death, but it comes not,
and dig for it more than for #Prov. 2:4hidden treasures,
22who rejoice exceedingly
and are glad when they find the grave?
23Why is light given to a man whose #Isa. 40:27 way is hidden,
whom God has #[ch. 1:10]; See ch. 19:8hedged in?
24For my sighing comes #[Ps. 42:3; 80:5; 102:9] instead of#3:24 Or like; Hebrew before my bread,
and my #Ps. 22:1; 38:8groanings are poured out like water.
25 # [Prov. 10:24] For the thing that I fear comes upon me,
and what I dread befalls me.
26I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, but trouble comes.”
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Job 3
3
The Debate
Job's Outburst
1After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. 2And Job spake, and said,
3Let the day perish wherein I was born,
And the night in which it was said,
There is a man child conceived.
4Let that day be darkness;
Let not God regard it from above,
Neither let the light shine upon it.
5Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it;
Let a cloud dwell upon it;
Let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it;
Let it not be joined unto the days of the year,
Let it not come into the number of the months.
7Lo, let that night be solitary,
Let no joyful voice come therein.
8Let them curse it that curse the day,
Who are ready to raise up their mourning.
9Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark;
Let it look for light, but have none;
Neither let it see the dawning of the day:
10Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb,
Nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.
11Why died I not from the womb?
Why did I not give up the ghost
When I came out of the belly?
12Why did the knees prevent me?
Or why the breasts that I should suck?
13For now should I have lain still and been quiet,
I should have slept: then had I been at rest,
14With kings and counsellors of the earth,
Which built desolate places for themselves;
15Or with princes that had gold,
Who filled their houses with silver:
16Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been;
As infants which never saw light.
17There the wicked cease from troubling;
And there the weary be at rest.
18 There the prisoners rest together;
They hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19The small and great are there;
And the servant is free from his master.
20Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery,
And life unto the bitter in soul;
21Which long for death, but it cometh not;
And dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22Which rejoice exceedingly,
And are glad, when they can find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid,
And whom God hath hedged in?
24For my sighing cometh before I eat,
And my roarings are poured out like the waters.
25For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me,
And that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet;
Yet trouble came.
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